Draft Expert ModernArtillery 2023 Draft Thread

[pushintheback]

***Part 1 of my pre-season notes is captured in the first post of this thread.

Harry Francis
I first saw Harry Francis play two years ago and he immediately became a favourite of mine. That day he played primarily through the ruck, resting forward. He showed a fair bit of natural athleticism and coordination and his ability to use the ball around the ground was above average for his size. I've since seen him play a bit more in defence and I think that might be the position that gives him the best opportunity to have a career at AFL level. I know most won't look favourably on this call, but I think some of his strengths are comparable to someone like Billy Frampton. He's got similar size, coordination, fluidity, natural athleticism and above average ball-use. Areas of growth include 1 on 1 competitiveness in the contest and overall physicality.

Jack Callinan
I'm a big fan of Jack Callinan and would have him in the top half of my draft board at this point of the season. There's no question marks on his footy for me. He's got the forward craft to consistently impact on the scoreboard and ability to apply pressure inside 50. He doesn't look out of place through the midfield and while he's probably not a permanent midfielder at AFL level, he's certainly got the talent to play a role as a pinch-hitter.

Arie Schoenmaker
Schoenmaker has nice speed for his size and is a really capable user by foot coming out of defence. Ideally he gets to a genuine KPD size as he currently measures in as a third tall at about 193cm. He's a capable interceptor and what makes him so damaging is his ability to intercept and then rebound. I see a genuine best 22 prospect and am keen to see further physical development and growth in his defensive game.

Alex Holt
I've been lucky enough to see a fair bit of Alex Holt at SANFL U18 level and have been very impressed with his competitiveness and leadership. His defensive work is exceptional and he's demonstrated a capacity to play on a variety of different types. His work rebounding from defensive 50 has come with mixed results. He has the right mindset and has shown a willingness to take the game on. This comes with mistakes but it never appears to impact his confidence and you'd expect it will be beneficial for his development long-term.

Nathan Philactides
Philactides is one of the more exciting prospects in this class. It's great to watch what he can do with the footy and how quickly he can turn defence into attack. He's got a great speed/power/burst combo and has a classy left foot. I do wonder whether there's a cap on his ceiling from a draft range perspective given his size/role but he's still one I expect to be discussed in the first half of the draft.

Ryley Sanders
Sanders is one I'm keen to track closely this year. I love his size, frame and work on the inside. He moves through traffic well but doesn't have that burst or speed that is really desirable. He's a competent distributor, especially by hand and willing tackler. With Sanders, I think the footy is good enough, but the question mark will be on his athletic attributes.

Archie Roberts
I'm not completely sold on Roberts as a prospect yet, but it wouldn't be the first time I've been late to the party. I'd like to see his kicking and decision-making improve coming out of defence, as I feel at times he settles for distance rather than hitting up shorter, more aggressive targets. I'll also acknowledge that is sometimes a product of the options that actually present themselves up the field, so it's perhaps not always his fault. He's got a bit of development to come physically, but he's got time to add the necessary size. I'd really like to see his 1 on 1 defensive work improve to complement his ability to read the flight of the ball. Like a few others, I think the positional-value limits the ceiling of his draft-range.

Love ya work ModernArtillery This groups review as well as the last one are bloody good. Can't wait to see how this plays out throughout the year. I have my favourite 3or 4 that i think will climb up the order (well Harley can't get any higher) as their year plays out.

 

[TDS7]

Any love for Nate Caddy? While he looks to be out for a bit, the heartbreak of losing Gunston has me pining for another medium-tall forward with excellent marking abilities and superb forward craft. Bonus if he can run through the midfield, but off CHF I think he could be a player in the mold of Nick Riewoldt, Jez Cameron, and now Cadman, that pushes up the ground and provide an outlet option and play a part in the forward 50 entry before running back and presenting themselves. But I've only seen a handful of highlights and champs games to go off.

 

[pushintheback]

Any love for Nate Caddy? While he looks to be out for a bit, the heartbreak of losing Gunston has me pining for another medium-tall forward with excellent marking abilities and superb forward craft. Bonus if he can run through the midfield, but off CHF I think he could be a player in the mold of Nick Riewoldt, Jez Cameron, and now Cadman, that pushes up the ground and provide an outlet option and play a part in the forward 50 entry before running back and presenting themselves. But I've only seen a handful of highlights and champs games to go off.

Apparently he’s the nephew of Josh Caddy I reckon if you read any draft article you will get your Caddy fix. All they ever talk about is H Reid. N Watson and N Caddy.

 

[ModernArtillery]

Any love for Nate Caddy? While he looks to be out for a bit, the heartbreak of losing Gunston has me pining for another medium-tall forward with excellent marking abilities and superb forward craft. Bonus if he can run through the midfield, but off CHF I think he could be a player in the mold of Nick Riewoldt, Jez Cameron, and now Cadman, that pushes up the ground and provide an outlet option and play a part in the forward 50 entry before running back and presenting themselves. But I've only seen a handful of highlights and champs games to go off.

Caddy's not a favourite of mine but that doesn't mean I don't think he'll turn out to be a player. I'm not sold on the midfield scope yet, but am eager to see how that unfolds this year. Hopefully the early season injury doesn't inhibit his progress in that regard. As a forward he's pretty strong on the lead and I do like the way he flies at the footy. He's capable once the ball hits the deck too and has a bit of x-factor about him. He just didn't put it together consistently enough for me last year, but that's probably a harsh criticism of a 16/17 year old kid. He probably wouldn't be in my top 10 to start the season but that doesn't mean he won't finish in there.

 

[RanaNaved]

Caddy reminds me of a 17/18 year old Oscar Allen

12

Oscar Allen

Age

24

Ht

196cm

Wt

95kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.8

2star

K

6.6

3star

HB

3.2

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.4

4star

G

1.1

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.6

3star

K

5.8

3star

HB

2.8

3star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.0

4star

G

1.2

4star

. Really long arms, takes the ball high in the air with sticky hands. He's 193cm now, but I reckon he's got more to come

 

[ModernArtillery]

A couple of my favourites from South Australia right now..

Tom Wheaton
Wheaton has been one of my favourites since he debuted in the SANFL U18's back in 2021. His size is really impressive for a midfielder and he's doing a much better job with his inside work, showing clean hands and either powering his way through the contest or using his strength to absorb the tackle and release by hand. I wouldn't say he's a natural forward but he's a threat when he rests inside 50, purely because of his size, strength and athleticism. You can tell the game has slowed down for him at U18 level and his decision-making with ball in hand looks much improved. The running capacity is hard to measure without the raw data but I expect that he'll need to show further improvement in that regard.

Logan Evans
I LOVED Logan Evans last year, but I definitely didn't expect him to debut for the League side this early. I was lucky enough to see his first game at the level in the flesh and he was really, really impressive. His decision-making and ability to execute by foot coming out of defence stood out, even at that level. He's a good vertical athlete and looks like he has a frame that will really fill out at AFL level. I'd say his 1 on 1 defensive work needs some improvement but there's legitimate scope for him as an athletic interceptor. Stylistically, I think Tom Doedee

39

Tom Doedee

Age

26

Ht

187cm

Wt

90kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.1

4star

K

8.5

3star

HB

8.6

5star

M

5.6

5star

T

2.6

4star

MG

228.8

4star

D

15.3

4star

K

9.5

4star

HB

5.8

3star

M

6.3

5star

T

1.3

2star

MG

228.8

3star

D

19.8

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

9.4

5star

M

6.6

5star

T

1.4

4star

is not an unreasonable comparison.

 

[pushintheback]

A couple of my favourites from South Australia right now..

Tom Wheaton
Wheaton has been one of my favourites since he debuted in the SANFL U18's back in 2021. His size is really impressive for a midfielder and he's doing a much better job with his inside work, showing clean hands and either powering his way through the contest or using his strength to absorb the tackle and release by hand. I wouldn't say he's a natural forward but he's a threat when he rests inside 50, purely because of his size, strength and athleticism. You can tell the game has slowed down for him at U18 level and his decision-making with ball in hand looks much improved. The running capacity is hard to measure without the raw data but I expect that he'll need to show further improvement in that regard.

Logan Evans
I LOVED Logan Evans last year, but I definitely didn't expect him to debut for the League side this early. I was lucky enough to see his first game at the level in the flesh and he was really, really impressive. His decision-making and ability to execute by foot coming out of defence stood out, even at that level. He's a good vertical athlete and looks like he has a frame that will really fill out at AFL level. I'd say his 1 on 1 defensive work needs some improvement but there's legitimate scope for him as an athletic interceptor. Stylistically, I think Tom Doedee is not an unreasonable comparison.

I like Evans as well. What’s his size?

 

[Mutineer]

A couple of my favourites from South Australia right now..

Tom Wheaton
Wheaton has been one of my favourites since he debuted in the SANFL U18's back in 2021. His size is really impressive for a midfielder and he's doing a much better job with his inside work, showing clean hands and either powering his way through the contest or using his strength to absorb the tackle and release by hand. I wouldn't say he's a natural forward but he's a threat when he rests inside 50, purely because of his size, strength and athleticism. You can tell the game has slowed down for him at U18 level and his decision-making with ball in hand looks much improved. The running capacity is hard to measure without the raw data but I expect that he'll need to show further improvement in that regard.

Logan Evans
I LOVED Logan Evans last year, but I definitely didn't expect him to debut for the League side this early. I was lucky enough to see his first game at the level in the flesh and he was really, really impressive. His decision-making and ability to execute by foot coming out of defence stood out, even at that level. He's a good vertical athlete and looks like he has a frame that will really fill out at AFL level. I'd say his 1 on 1 defensive work needs some improvement but there's legitimate scope for him as an athletic interceptor. Stylistically, I think Tom Doedee is not an unreasonable comparison.

SA Squad 2KM run on the weekend taken out by South Adelaide's big bodied mid Tom Wheaton in an impressive 6 min.07 seconds

 

[ModernArtillery]

I like Evans as well. What’s his size?

I believe he measured in at 188cm.

 

[ModernArtillery]

Mutineer love that! Hopefully that running starts to really shine through on gameday!

 

[PMBangers]

Logan Evans
I LOVED Logan Evans last year, but I definitely didn't expect him to debut for the League side this early. I was lucky enough to see his first game at the level in the flesh and he was really, really impressive. His decision-making and ability to execute by foot coming out of defence stood out, even at that level. He's a good vertical athlete and looks like he has a frame that will really fill out at AFL level. I'd say his 1 on 1 defensive work needs some improvement but there's legitimate scope for him as an athletic interceptor. Stylistically, I think Tom Doedee is not an unreasonable comparison.

Just got around to watching his Round 1 game this morning, decision making and use by foot are big ticks as well as athleticism for his role. One thing I noted that I didn't quite expect was his work rate in both offense and defence, a few times he made some repeat leads between the arcs that opponents ignored and saw him get used. You mention Doedee as a comparison which I agree with, would you agree that Evans has a better athletic base?

Also keen on your thoughts on Weckert, I think he's got some traits but it's hard to judge where they sit in comparison to the other talls in the class when he's almost invisible for most of the game in Seniors

 

[philthy05]

Anyone know what happened to rome Burgoyne last night? Finished with 1d so I assume injured early in game?

 

[ModernArtillery]

Just got around to watching his Round 1 game this morning, decision making and use by foot are big ticks as well as athleticism for his role. One thing I noted that I didn't quite expect was his work rate in both offense and defence, a few times he made some repeat leads between the arcs that opponents ignored and saw him get used. You mention Doedee as a comparison which I agree with, would you agree that Evans has a better athletic base?

Also keen on your thoughts on Weckert, I think he's got some traits but it's hard to judge where they sit in comparison to the other talls in the class when he's almost invisible for most of the game in Seniors

Based solely on eye test, I think so. From memory, Doedee was a pretty impressive athlete as a junior. Tom’s probably added nearly 10 kgs since and would have at least that on Evans now, so without the data it’s a bit hard for me to get a real clear baseline comparison. I don’t think the gap would be huge at draft age, but Evans certainly looks the better athlete vs 2023 Doedee.

 

[ModernArtillery]

Just got around to watching his Round 1 game this morning, decision making and use by foot are big ticks as well as athleticism for his role. One thing I noted that I didn't quite expect was his work rate in both offense and defence, a few times he made some repeat leads between the arcs that opponents ignored and saw him get used. You mention Doedee as a comparison which I agree with, would you agree that Evans has a better athletic base?

Also keen on your thoughts on Weckert, I think he's got some traits but it's hard to judge where they sit in comparison to the other talls in the class when he's almost invisible for most of the game in Seniors

Left out the Weckert response sorry!

I can’t get there on Weckert just yet, especially as a forward. You’re 100% right about his role in the seniors. Makes him near impossible to evaluate. I think his strength in 1 on 1’s is his best asset but I worry about his speed, acceleration and ability to separate on the lead. He’s good overhead and so he doesn’t need too much space but I’m slow to be convinced he stylistically fits AFL footy.

 

[ModernArtillery]

Anyone know what happened to rome Burgoyne last night? Finished with 1d so I assume injured early in game?

I’m out of the country at the moment so haven’t heard or seen anything sorry! I think the assumption would be correct though. Hopefully nothing serious.

 

[PMBangers]

Left out the Weckert response sorry!

I can’t get there on Weckert just yet, especially as a forward. You’re 100% right about his role in the seniors. Makes him near impossible to evaluate. I think his strength in 1 on 1’s is his best asset but I worry about his speed, acceleration and ability to separate on the lead. He’s good overhead and so he doesn’t need too much space but I’m slow to be convinced he stylistically fits AFL footy.

Based solely on eye test, I think so. From memory, Doedee was a pretty impressive athlete as a junior. Tom’s probably added nearly 10 kgs since and would have at least that on Evans now, so without the data it’s a bit hard for me to get a real clear baseline comparison. I don’t think the gap would be huge at draft age, but Evans certainly looks the better athlete vs 2023 Doedee.

I love and appreciate you and hope you continue to be a contributor here and at RMC forever

 

[ModernArtillery]

I love and appreciate you and hope you continue to be a contributor here and at RMC forever

PMBangers

 

[Mutineer]

Left out the Weckert response sorry!

I can’t get there on Weckert just yet, especially as a forward. You’re 100% right about his role in the seniors. Makes him near impossible to evaluate. I think his strength in 1 on 1’s is his best asset but I worry about his speed, acceleration and ability to separate on the lead. He’s good overhead and so he doesn’t need too much space but I’m slow to be convinced he stylistically fits AFL footy.

I'm with you there, bit of a tweener as well.

Already very well developed physically too, I'm waiting for the Nationals to see how he goes against his peers.

 

[Obeanie1]

He'd surely be a pick 1 contender with his ambidexterity.

Moir hasn't played a lot of midfield.

If he's to rise to #1 he would need to impress as a mid not just kick amazing goals on either foot.

I do like him. I'm on the Moir train for the Eagles. Hopefully after splitting pick 1 or 2.